Housing repairs and improvements

Tenant repair responsibilities

If you are a tenant you have shared responsibility for the maintenance of your property. You must treat in a tenant-like manner:

  • the inside of the property
  • all internal fixtures and fittings
  • communal areas

Acting in a tenant-like manner means:

  • keeping the interior of the property in a good and clean condition
  • doing minor jobs around the home

Examples of this include:

  • replacing light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, and fuses
  • replacing sanitary fittings such as toilet seats, plugs and chains to baths, basin and sinks
  • clearing minor blockages to drains or waste pipes caused by you or members of your household – you should make sure pipes are not blocked by the disposal of unsuitable matter such as cooking oil, fat, nappies and sanitary items, and to report to us promptly any problems with the pipes
  • decorating all internal parts of the property as often as is needed to keep them in good decorative order
  • maintaining kitchen and bathroom installations and fittings that have been replaced through Transforming Homes or other void property works – this includes bathroom sanitary ware and tiling, and kitchen cupboards, drawers, handles, worktops and tiling

A full list of repair responsibilities is included in our repairs policy, below.

Housing repairs policy and procedures